Heat dissipation device

ABSTRACT

A heat dissipation device includes a base, a fin group on the base, a plurality of heat pipes and a covering fin mounted on a top of the fin group. The base includes a frame and a conducting plate engaging with a bottom of a central portion of the frame. The fin group includes a plurality of fins spaced from each other and horizontally stacked on the base. The heat pipes have evaporating sections sandwiched between the conducting plate and the base and condensing sections extending upwardly from the frame and through the fin group. The condensing sections have top ends located above a top fin of the fin group. The covering fin covers the upper ends of the condensing sections and has a plurality of latching legs extending downwardly therefrom to engage with the top fin.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to a heat dissipation device and, more particularly, to a heat dissipation device incorporating heat pipes therein.

2. Description of Related Art

It is well known that if heat generated by electronic components, such as integrated circuit chips, during operation is not efficiently dissipated, these electronic components may suffer damage. Thus, heat dissipation apparatuses are often used to cool the electronic components.

In one typical heat dissipation apparatus, it includes a heat sink comprises a base, a plurality of fins on the base and a plurality of heat pipes thermally connecting the fins and the base together. The fins are spaced from each other and horizontally stacked on the base. The heat pipes have evaporating sections embedded in a top or bottom of the base and condensing sections extending upwardly through the fins. In other to being firmly connected to each of the fins, upper ends of the condensing sections of the heat pipes have to extend upwardly through the top one of the fins to expose outside. Since, the upper ends of the condensing sections of the heat pipes are conventionally sealed ends of the heat pipes and usually punched into a flattened and sharp configuration to seal the heat pipe and thus impossible to intimately engage the fin. However, the exposure of the upper ends of condensing sections of the heat pipes places the heat dissipation device in a risk of hurting other nearby electronic components and related operator by the sharp upper ends of the condensing sections during assembly, transportation and use.

What is needed, therefore, is a heat dissipation apparatus which overcomes the above-described limitations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an isometric, assembled view of a heat dissipation device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the heat dissipation device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a circled portion III of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the heat dissipation device of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a heat dissipation device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The heat dissipation device is provided for removing heat from a heat-generating component such as an electronic component, more specifically a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer. The heat dissipation device comprises a base 10, a fin group 20 placed on the base 10, a plurality of heat pipes 30 thermally connecting the base 10 and the fin group 20 together and a covering fin 40 mounted on a top of the fin group 20.

The base 10 includes a frame 14 supporting fins 22 of the fin group 20 thereon and a conducting plate 12 fixed to a bottom of the frame 14 for contacting the heat-generating component. The frame 14 has a rectangular configuration. A plurality of fixing poles 16 extend upwardly, perpendicularly from a top surface of the frame 14 and are located adjacent to two opposite lateral sides of the frame 14. The fixing poles 16 are extended upwardly through the fin group 20 to enhance an assembling integrity and strength of the fin group 20. The conducting plate 12 engages a bottom of a central portion of the frame 14. The conducting plate 12 is made of a material with good heat conductivity such as copper and has a flat bottom surface for contacting a top surface of the heat-generating component. The fixing poles 16 are also provided for electrically connecting the fins 22 of the fin group 20 together so that a metal oxide film can be evenly formed on a surface of each of the fins 22 of the fin group 20 during an anodizing process of the fin group 20.

The fins 22 of the fin group 20 are horizontally stacked together. The fins 22 are spaced from each other with a constant distance and parallel to the top surface of the frame 14. Each fin 22 is rectangular and made of aluminum. Each fin 22 has two flanges 26 extending downwardly and perpendicularly from two opposite long side edges thereof. Bottom edges of the two flanges 26 of a fin 22 are rested on a top surface of a neighboring lower fin 22, whereby every two neighboring fins 22 are separated from each other by the flanges 26. Each fin 22 has four round corners and a size similar to that of the frame 14 of the base 10. A plurality of through holes (not labeled) are defined in each fin 22. A collar (not labeled) extends perpendicularly, upwardly from each of the fins 22 at an edge of each through hole. The through holes of the fins 22 in a vertical line and the corresponding collars around the corresponding through holes cooperatively form a receiving tube 24. In this way, a plurality of receiving tubes 24 spaced from each other are defined in the fin group 20 and perpendicular to the fins 22, for receiving the corresponding fixing poles 16 and the heat pipes 30 therein.

A plurality of locking slots 28 are defined in a top one of the fins 22 and adjacent to two opposite lateral sides of the top fin 22. The locking slots 28 are spaced from each other and all defined in a lengthways direction which is parallel to the two opposite lateral sides of the top fin 22.

The heat pipes 30 each are substantially U-shaped and each comprise an evaporating section 32 and two condensing sections 34 perpendicular to the evaporating section 32, and two curved sections (not labeled) respectively extending from two opposite ends of the evaporating section 32 and connecting the evaporating section 32 and the two condensing sections 34. The evaporating sections 32 of the heat pipes 30 are sandwiched between the central portion of the frame 14 and the conducting plate 12 and arranged closely side by side. The condensing sections 34 are extended upwardly from the frame 14 and through the fin group 20. The condensing sections 34 are spaced from and parallel to each other. The condensing sections 34 and the fixing poles 16 of the base 10 are respectively received in the corresponding receiving tubes 26 of the fin group 20. Upper ends of the condensing sections 34 being sealed ends of the heat pipes 30, have upwardly-tapered configurations and protrude upwardly through the top fin 22 of the fin group 20 to be located on a top of the fin group 20.

Also referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the covering fin 40 comprises a main body 42, two side plates 44 extending downwardly from two opposite lateral side edges of the main body 42 and two engaging flanges 46 extending inwardly and horizontally from two bottom edges of the two side plates 44. The main plate 42 is rectangular and has a size similar to that of the fins 22. The two side plates 44 are perpendicular to the main body 42. The two engaging flanges 46 are separated from the main body 42 by the side plates 44 and parallel to the main body 42. A plurality of latching legs 48 respectively corresponding to the locking slots 28 in the top fin 22 of the fin group 20 are extended upwardly and perpendicularly from bottom surfaces of the engaging flanges 46. Each latching leg 48 has an elastic barb 480 projecting inwardly and upwardly from a lower end thereof. In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the barb 480 is formed by punching the latching leg 48 inwardly, whereby the latching leg 48 defines an opening (not labeled) therein, corresponding to the barb 480.

To mount the covering fin 40 to the top fin 22 of the fin group 20, the covering fin 40 is placed on the top fin 22 of the fin group 20 in a way that the latching legs 48 of the covering fin 40 are respectively in alignment with the locking slots 28 of the top fin 22 of the fin group 20. The covering fin 40 is then pressed toward the fin group 20 to force the barbs 480 of the latching legs 48 thereof to deform and extend through the corresponding locking slots 28 in the top fin 22 of the fin group 20. Once the barbs 480 of the latching legs 48 passing through the locking slots 28, the barbs 480 restore to their original configurations and engage a bottom surface of the top fin 22 to thus firmly fasten the covering fin 40 to the fin group 20. Therefore, the covering fin 40 can be easily and conveniently fastened to the top fin 22 of the fin group 20 and covers the sealed upper ends of the condensing sections 34 of the heat pipes 30 to prevent the sealed upper ends from exposure.

After the covering fin 40 is mounted on the fin group 20, the main body 42 of the covering fin 40 are parallel to and separated from the top fin 22 of the fin group 20. The sealed ends of the condensing sections 34 of the heat pipes 30 are located between the main body 42 of the covering fin 40 and the top fin 22 of the fin group 20. Usually, the sealed ends of the condensing sections 34 of the heat pipes 30 have sharp tips, which are prone to scrape other nearby components or scratch an assembler's fingers. Thus, a risk of hurting other components or the assembler by the sealed ends of the condensing sections 34 of the heat pipes 30 during use, transporting and assembling of the heat dissipation device is avoided by covering the sealed ends of the condensing sections 34 of the heat pipes 30 with the covering fin 40.

It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the invention. 

1. A heat dissipation device comprising: a base; a fin group on the base; a plurality of heat pipes having evaporating sections embedded in the base and condensing sections extending upwardly through the fin group, the condensing sections having top ends located at a top of the fin group; and a covering fin covering the upper ends of the condensing sections and having a plurality of latching legs extending downwardly therefrom to engage with the top of the fin group.
 2. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each latching leg has a barb projecting inwardly from a lower end thereof and engaging into the top of the fin group.
 3. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 2, wherein a plurality of locking slots are defined in the top of the fin group engagingly receive the barbs therein.
 4. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the fin group comprises a plurality of fins spaced from each other and parallel to the base.
 5. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the locking slots are defined in a top one of the fins, the barbs of the latching legs are extended through the locking slots and locked with a bottom surface of the top one of the fins.
 6. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the covering fin comprises a main body separated from the top of the fin group, two side plates extending downwardly from two opposite lateral side edges of the main body and two engaging flanges extending inwardly from two bottom edges of the side plates and engaging the top of the fin group, the locking legs extending toward the fin group from bottom surfaces of the engaging flanges.
 7. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base comprises a frame on which the fin group is placed and a conducting plate engaging a bottom of a central portion of the frame.
 8. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the evaporating sections of the heat pipes are sandwiched between the conducting plate and the central portion of the frame, the condensing sections of the heat pipes are extended upwardly from the frame through the fin group.
 9. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 7, wherein a plurality of fixing poles extend upwardly from a top of the frame and through the fin group.
 10. A heat dissipation device comprising: a base comprising a frame and a conducting plate engaging with a bottom of a central portion of the frame; a fin group comprising a plurality of fins spaced from each other and horizontally stacked on the base; a plurality of heat pipes having evaporating sections sandwiched between the conducting plate and the base and condensing sections extending upwardly from the frame and through the fin group, the condensing sections having top ends located above a top fin of the fin group; and a covering fin covering the upper ends of the condensing sections and having a plurality of latching legs extending downwardly therefrom to engage with the top fin.
 11. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the covering fin comprises a main body separated from the top of the fin group, two side plates extending downwardly from two opposite lateral side edges of the main body and two engaging flanges extending inwardly from two bottom edges of the side plates and engaging the top of the fin group, the locking legs extending toward the fin group from bottom surfaces of the engaging flanges.
 12. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 11, wherein each latching leg has a barb projecting inwardly from a lower end thereof and engaging into the top fin.
 13. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 12, wherein a plurality of locking slots are defined in the top fin, the barbs of the latching legs are extended through the locking slots and locked with a bottom surface of the top fin. 